“We infiltrate the HYDRA base, get what we need, and get right back out. Preferably not sounding any alarms in the process. Questions?” Tony was leaning over the map of the building on the table.
Heads shook no.
“Alright, teams. Me and Cap, y/n and Bucky. Good?”
“Excuse me? Me and Bucky?”
“You’ve got a problem with that?”
“Yeah I do.”
“I’m not changing the teams.”
“Oh great,” I huffed, running a hand through my hair. “You sure you couldn’t put me with someone else? We don’t work well together Tony, you of all people should know that.”
Bucky scoffed from his place in the corner.
“Nope, sorry. We’ve already built the strategy around each pair.”
Our job was the actual infiltration, which called for stealth instead of brute force. I didn't get why Bucky and I were forced together. I would’ve done just fine on my own.
Tony and Cap were the distraction so we could get in and out without a hitch.
After getting in, grabbing the important documents and getting out, we were meant to retreat to one of Tony’s many safe houses a few miles into the woods. We would stay there for a couple of hours and then they would double back and pick us up, so as to avoid any further confrontation with HYDRA just in case any alarms were sounded or anyone noticed something suspicious and decided to follow us unknowingly.
On the jet, Tony and Cap were having conversation, joking around and getting along like teammates should be. Then there was Bucky sitting across from me glaring at the floor and occasionally glancing up to glare me. I could practically feel the anger radiating off of him, wondering how he got stuck with me.
Once the jet landed a few miles away from the HYDRA base, everyone exited and Tony reminded us, “Remember no alarms if you can help it, no unnecessary risks. Got it?”.
The last part was directed to me with a pointed glance, not that I couldn’t tell from his tone.
Tony and Cap split off, making sure to give us some time to get positioned before they proceeded with their antics.
Bucky marched off without a word to me, which would’ve stung a bit before but didn’t surprise me nor bothered me anymore. At least that’s what I told myself, and honestly it’s what I was starting to believe at this point too. He was decent and even friendly towards everyone else-even towards me at the beginning- but somehow, I don’t remember exactly when, that changed. We used to sit across the table from each other having breakfast and talking, he used to brush his arm by mine when we passed in the hallways.
Little things like that made me fall for him but then he pulled this shit. Now the closest we got to each other was his nose almost touching mine in a heated argument or him shouldering past me out of the room.
I would never admit this to anyone, but there were times when he would raise his hand to angrily comb through his hair or make angry hand motions and I would internally flinch thinking he would hit me. I knew about his past with HYDRA. My past with HYDRA didn’t help either, the torture and countless experiments they ran on me to give me my abilities. I was taught to obey and use my powers when they wanted me to or I would be beaten to a pulp by some other superhuman they had created.
But nobody on the team knew that. They believed-had been lead to believe by me-that I was powerless. To them I was just a highly trained assassin like Natasha though, in my own mind, not nearly as efficient even though I could hold my own against her most of the time and even best her in training on a good day.
As we got into position at the base, Steve’s voice crackled through my earpiece, “You guys ready?”
“Yup, we’re in position at the back entrance.”
“Any agents? Guards?”
“A few but if Bucky stays back I should be able to knock them out without alerting anyone.” My indirect way of telling him to stay back. I had this under control.
“Alright me and Cap’ll get started then. Good luck you two.” Tony.
I ducked out from behind the corner of the building, slinking along the edge of the wall towards the first guard.
As the second guard rounded the corner to the other side, I suddenly grabbed the first into a chokehold, effectively cutting off his air and knocking him out. One down, one more to go.
But then Bucky had to come jogging out, his quick, un-disguised pace causing the other guard to come marching back around the corner to investigate the unfamiliar footsteps. As soon as he rounded the corner, Buck grabbed him in a chokehold as I had and knocked him out.
“What the fuck are you doing Barnes?? I had this.” I hissed. “Didn’t look like it to me.” He shrugged. I was livid. “I clearly had it under fucking control! You did exactly what I would’ve done, stop being an asshole and just fucking cooperate with me on a mission for once! Stark said not to draw any attention, and that’s exactly what I was doing, I could’ve done this just fine own I don’t know why he put you on the team. The only thing you’re good at is forcing your way through shit. You don’t know a single thing about stealth.”
He was already angrily walking off into the building, not a care in the world about stealth. He was going to get one of us killed if he kept this shit up.
I remember when he first started acting this way, Tony had made it clear that personal arguments would not be brought into the “workplace”.
I had dealt with that well enough and once I could start ignoring the way he acted towards me I was fine with it. He was the one being an asshole about it.
I followed him into the building, catching up to him and pushing past him. “I’ll handle this you got that? No more of that shit you did back there. That was reckless, you could’ve ended the mission before it even started if someone had seen you.”
We continued down the corridor, knocking out guards here and there, and glancing at the layout map once in awhile to make sure we were going the right way.
It seemed Steve and Tony’s distraction was working pretty well as most guards were gone out of the hallways, probably focusing instead on the two outside who were recklessly trying to blast their way into the place head on.
I easily made it into the room, plugging a flash drive into the pc at the desk, punching in a few access codes, and began rummaging around in the paperwork trying to find a couple of manila folders that were packed full with other useful information to surprise the team with when we got back.
Bucky, for once, stopped being a dick and stood in the door watching the hallway for any incoming threats.
The flash drive was just finishing up when Bucky hissed under his breath, “Guards! Hurry up!”
“It’s almost done its almost done! C'mon! 98 percent!”
“Hurry the fuck up!”
“I know Barnes, I fucking know I can’t make it go any faster!”
As soon as the ‘Files Successfully Downloaded’ text appeared in the screen I jammed the flash drive into my suit and, discarding the paperwork, I sprinted out of the room and down the hallway, Bucky on my heels.
When we entered a largish open room, we were forced to stop by two guards in the room. “Intruders!”
The guards tailing us had been left behind, but were quickly catching up. I couldn’t take on five, Bucky or no Bucky, this was going to be difficult. With no time to waste I kicked the first one further into the room, landing a hit on his ribs, and he fell to the floor groaning. His gun skidded out of his reach and I kicked it away further before slamming his head to the ground, knocking him out, to deal with the second guard who had almost sunk a knife into my side. I barely dodged it.
“Bucky?? A little warning would’ve been nice!” I realized he had thrown the guard across the room, who had stumbled back to his feet and attacked the closest person to him, me.
“Not my fault you weren’t paying attention! You’re completely oblivious!”
“This is not the time for this bucky!” I yelled at him, sprinting over to the hallway to meet the on coming guards, who were just catching up to us.
Kicking the first one in the gut, I ripped the taser from his belt and shocked him with it as Bucky knocked the other out with his metal arm. I threw a punch at the third, he dodged it and landed a punch on my collarbone. I tried to ignore the pain that bloomed there and the bruise that most likely would too and punched him in the windpipe, knocking him down.
For a split second I stood to catch my breath and push down the pain in my collarbone as well as my neck and shoulder now, before we moved on. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Bucky turning to start back down the corridor in which we came, as that seemed the safest route now, when I felt a harsh, shooting pain in my side. Before I could process it, I was thrown across the room and I heard something crack. Felt it too. I let out a groan of pain and struggled to my feet before getting kicked in the ribs again and again before the, obviously enhanced, agent was pulled away from me by Bucky and tossed across the room like a ragdoll. Even though he was stronger than a normal person, he was still no match for an angry Barnes.
I struggled to my feet, pressing my hand to my side to slow the bleeding. I was shot. It appeared to not have hit anything vital. Good. If I could just make it back to the safe house now, I’d be good. I’ve had worse.
I ripped the sleeve of my suit and winced as I tied it tightly around my abdomen where the bullet had struck me. My ribs were hurting terribly too, but the bleeding had to be stopped before anything else. I bent over to pick up a knife that had fell out of my pocket and flinched when I felt my ribs shift. They were definitely broken. Busted, in fact.
When I looked up I saw a pair of feet in front of me and I jerked up, holding back a cry of pain.
“You look like shit.”
“Wow thanks Barnes.” I said sarcastically. trying to hide the pain and the defensiveness I felt.
This always happened. Whenever I got hurt to a certain degree, my instincts started to take over and I trusted no one. Like a wounded animal. Though I had forgotten a large part of my time at HYDRA, I chalked it up as a response to one of the many things I had went through there.
“Let’s get out of here.” I ground out, pressing my hand to my side. I straightened up and took a step forward only to see the ground come flying up to my face. I let out a grunt of pain, rolling over on my side to see Bucky standing over me with a disgusted look on his face. “Pathetic.” I heard him scoff under his breath as he turned away. “Get up and let’s get moving. We don’t have all day.”
Forcing myself back to my feet, I pushed the black dots to the edges of my vision and started forward, following him back down the hallway in which we came. I hoped that we would somehow manage to get out without having another run in with more agents. I didn’t think I could fight anymore and I didn’t trust Bucky to cover my ass.
As I stumbled down the corridor behind him, all stealth forgotten, I could feel my body beginning to weaken but again, pushed it back. There would be time to rest later.
I didn’t want to admit it to myself either but I didn’t want to seem weak to Bucky. I could manage just fine on my own and making a rookie mistake like that was a stupid move.
By some miracle, we made it back out with little interference from other guards. As soon as we exited the compound, I heard static and then Steve’s voice in my earpiece.
“You got the flashdrive?”
“Yup. We’re heading to the safe house now, see you guys in a couple hours.”
“You good?”
“Fine.”
“You don’t sound like it.”
“Just got sucker punched in the gut I’ve had worse.” I tried to shake it off with a laugh that I barely stopped from turning into a hoarse groan as I felt a sharp pang in my ribs.
“Alright. See you guys there.”
I trudged behind Bucky for a good mile there, not really sure where we were going at this point. I was trusting in him to lead us there, my head was as fogged up as my vision and I was starting to feel worse and worse.
Suddenly a wave of fatigue washed over me and I stumbled and clutched onto a tree for dear life. I tried to pry myself away from it, to keep going, but I knew if I did I’d fall flat on my face. I settled for sliding down to the ground and cradling my middle.
“Get a move on.” I forced my heavy eyelids open and jerked my head up at the voice. Bucky. It’s just Bucky. Right.
“Give me. A minute.” I panted out. I was trying really hard to not succumb to the darkness surrounding my vision and I didn’t need his bullshit right now.
He scoffed and stood back up, getting ready to move on without me. “How much further?” I didn’t think I could walk much further without collapsing. “'Bout half a mile.” Oh boy.
Slowly getting up on my feet, I had to take another minute just to clear the dots from my vision and stop myself from swaying. Bucky was already quite far ahead and I was struggling to catch up. He didn’t even look back.
“Barnes I know you hate my guts but you could at least wait for me I’m the one with the damn flashdrive.” Nothing.
Soon the safe house was in sight and I almost collapsed in relief right there. It was a small, unsuspecting cabin that looked almost run down or abandoned, but from what I remembered the inside was decent and could even be described as cozy once you lit a fire in the fireplace.
He barged in the door and I followed right on his heels, heading straight for one of the bedrooms. As soon as I made it in I slammed the door shut and slid down against it.
Finally lifting up my shirt, I assess the damage. Definitely a couple of broken ribs, bruised, cracked and everything else. Something was wrong with my collarbone but with all the other pain going on it was almost unnoticeable, or at least it was being drowned out for now. That didn’t help me tell how serious it was though.
Unwrapping the makeshift bandage around the bullet wound, I found that it was soaked completely through and still bleeding steadily. I groaned, leaning my head back against the door as I shut my eyes. It was so tempting to go to sleep right now. But i knew that with the extent of my injures it was a possibility that I wouldn’t wake up. Not without medical attention.
Shoving myself to my feet I stumbled to the adjoining bathroom and clumsily pulled out a well-equipped medkit from the cabinet. I pulled out a roll of gauze and some alcohol. Knowing I should probably stitch it but then realizing I would have to pull the bullet out to do that, I left the needle and thread in the medkit.
I stuffed a wash rag in my mouth and poured the alcohol in the wound, letting out a sob I let it sit there for a moment before hastily rinsing it out. The water that went down the drain was too red for comfort. I applied an antibiotic ointment and tightly wrapped the still-bleeding wound, extending and snugly wrapping the bandage around my ribs as well. I let out a sigh of relief with the extra support on my ribs.
Popping a couple of ibuprofen, I stood up, still shaky, and made my way through the bedroom and over to the hallway, creeping to the living room. I saw Bucky had already built a fire in the fireplace. I suddenly noticed how cold I was. Unnaturally cold. Probably because I lost a lot of blood.
I heard what sounded like talking far away, and looked over to the coffee table to my ear piece. It was flashing. I picked it up and put it to my ear. “Hello? You guys doing alright?”
“Yeah Steve we’re fine.”
“Listen, we think you might’ve caused a bit of a ruckus at the HYDRA base. I don’t think they know exactly what happened though. In any case, they’re suspicious and it looks like they’re doing sweeps around the area. We’re going to give them some time, so we’re not coming to pick you guys up in a couple hours like we planned.”
I hesitated. I did not like that news at all. “..Alright. We’ll hang tight then I guess. How long do you think it’s going to be?”
“We’ll have to play it by ear but since you guys didn’t leave a trail, they should hopefully calm down soon. Maybe in a day or two?”
“That’s a lot longer than two hours, Rogers.”
“Look, I’m sorry. Get along with him for me okay? He doesn’t hate you, I promise.”
“What?”
“I’ve gotta go. Just listen to me yeah?” I placed the ear piece back down on the table with a frustrated sigh and leaned back on the couch.
Bucky walked into the room in sweats and a hoodie, saw me, and immediately turned around to leave.
“Hear the news Barnes?” He stopped and turned around to look at me, crossing his arms.
“According to Rogers we’re stuck here for a couple of days until HYDRA calms down and stops looking for us.”
“Great.” He ground out, turning around to walk out of the room again. I let out a sigh.
The painkillers had started to kick in and I found myself dozing off on the couch. Just as I started to fall asleep, I awoke with a startled gasp, at the beginnings of a nightmare. My heart was racing in my chest and I could feel my pulse in the bullet wound. I struggled off of the couch and to my bathroom to check on my wound.
The entire roll of gauze I had used, plus what I had wadded up around the wound, was soaked through and had almost started bleeding into my tank top. I hunched over in the counter and squeezed my eyes shut. It was hurting and bleeding a lot more than a bullet wound should be.
“You got shot?” I spun around, immediately on defense, as I heard the voice in the doorway. Bucky was leaning against the doorframe with his arms crossed.
“Good job detective.” I growled at him. I hadn’t even heard his footsteps, he had snuck up on me, and he wasn’t exactly a quiet person if he wasn’t trying. It scared me, being vulnerable like that. I had been at someone’s mercy before when I was injured, and it had not turned out good for me. I swore I’d never let that happen again.
“What do you want?”
“Nothing.”
“Then leave me the fuck alone.” He put me on edge. I didn’t know why, I had once felt so comfortable around him, even sleeping with my legs across his lap watching movies. Now I felt defensive against him like he was a stranger. Someone I barely knew.
He held his hands up and then walked out of the room. Huh. Usually he always had to have the last word.
When I finished rebandaging the wound and my ribs, I headed straight to bed. I was exhausted and tired of fighting it.
Shivering, I pulled the blanket tighter around me but it was just like I couldn’t make my own body heat anymore.
I passed out soon after my head hit the pillow.
I woke up sweating but still freezing.
I forced myself onto my elbows, my vision blurry, and felt around on the nightstand for my ear piece. I couldn’t hide it anymore, I had to let the team know. Maybe they could get here a bit quicker, I wasn't sure if i could last two days without real medical attention. Even though a perk of my powers was healing faster and being able to come back from wounds that would be life-threatening to a normal person, I still had my limits.
That’s why I had a habit of downplaying the degree of my injuries. If anyone on the team knew the extent of some, they would be wondering how I was still even alive, let alone standing on my own two feet.
That’s why I was reckless too. Often taking bullets and punches meant for the others. If I couldn’t use my powers to heal them, I could take the damage for them.
I realized I left it on the coffee table in the living room and I groaned. Swinging my legs over the bed, I stumbled to my feet and clutched onto anything I could for support.
Once I made it to the hallway, I leaned on the wall to stop myself from falling, getting weaker by the second. I made it a few steps before my legs gave out on me. I blacked out as soon as I hit the floor.
Bucky came into the hallway at the thud to investigate.
He saw them collapsed on the floor in a heap. He couldn’t stop his throat tightening up at the sight and worry almost overwhelmed him. He couldn’t loose them, not on these terms. Anyone but them.
He was torn between calling for help on his earpiece and rushing to help them immediately, which is what his instincts told him to do. He knew if he did the latter there would be no turning back, he’d have to apologize to them, they’d probably hate him, or they could sort it out and go back to friendly terms. But he knew this was a turning point, he’d have to face them now and there was no more pushing them away.
He rushed to their side, gently slapping them awake.
I struggled to my forearms, scrambling up and shrinking away from my attacker.
“Get.. Away from me.” I gasped out. “Please.” I could them saying something but it sounded too far away. My vision was blurry and I couldn’t make anything out.
At this, my mind went back to my time at HYDRA and I was on full defense mode.
I felt hands lifting my shirt up and pressing against the bullet wound. I let out a sob of pain. Weakly clawing at the hands putting too much pressure on the wound and my ribs. “Stop,”
“I’m not going to hurt you. It’s me.” I couldn’t make sense of the words and my mind was too fogged over by pain to recognize their voice. I scrambled to right myself and pressed myself against the wall in fear.
“Hey, hey hey hey. It’s okay.” Bucky. He pressed his forehead against mine, our noses touching. “I’m not going to hurt you, I won’t let anything hurt you. I just need you to stop fighting me okay? You’re going to be alright.”
Against my instincts, I nodded and tried to release the tension in my body. “Okay.” My voice cracked. I was scared, of him, of disappointing everyone, of dying. It was the first time in my life I could remember actually caring if I lived or died.
“I’m going to pick you up okay? I just need you to trust me.” I shook my head. “I can walk.” I protested, trying to struggle to my feet. I clutched onto the wall. My brain was struggling as well, trying to comprehend this complete 180 in his tone and actions towards me.
He ignored my protests and lifted me up with ease. I felt my ribs shift and I struggled against him, trying to get away from the cause of my pain.
“Shh I know, I know. It’s just for a minute. Just for a second. Shit you’re so cold.” Even his metal arm felt warm against my skin, I was freezing but I didn’t even have the energy to shiver anymore.
“Bucky.” I weakly gripped his shirt. “I’m sorry.” I hoped he knew what I meant. It wasn’t just about the injuries I had sustained being an idiot.
“No, no don’t you dare talk like that. You’re going to be fine.” He said sternly, though his voice started to crack at the end.
He shoved open the door to the bedroom I was staying in and gently laid me down on the bed. “Stay here, I’ll be right back. Hey, hey no no don’t do that. Stay awake for me, don’t shut your eyes. Hey.” My eyelids felt like they weighed a ton each, and they kept fluttering shut against my will.
He cradled my face in his hands and took a deep breath, touching his nose to mine once again. “I’ll be right back okay? Don’t you dare shut those pretty eyes.”
I fought to keep my eyes open until he came back, to no avail. I found myself drifting off when he returned and put his hand against my cheek, I leaned into the warmth. “Hey,” He mumbled.
“Hi.” I croaked out.
“I’m going to need to take your shirt off to bandage you up alright?”
“I don’t know if I can do that.” He glanced at me. “My ribs.”
“I’ll help you.” He gently pulled my shirt up, helping my to lift my arms to get it off and I winced.
“I’m so sorry.”
“It’s okay.”
“No really I just.. I can’t loose you. Not on these terms, not this way, not ever. I-”
“Barnes.” He stopped. “It’s okay.” I mumbled. I was starting to fall asleep again.
“Right. Right, I’m going to take the bandage off okay? Hey. Don’t do that.”
“I can’t help it.” I slurred.
“How are you feeling? Tell me something.”
“Cold. Tired.”
“Hungry?”
“No.”
“You’ve gotta eat something.”
“’m too tired.”
“I’m not letting you sleep until you eat something warm.”
“’s not fair.”
He started to say something but stopped short once he saw the full extent of my injures. He cursed under his breath.
“’s not that bad.”
“I think the bullet was tipped with something. You’re still bleeding like you just got shot.” Panic was rising in his voice.
“I’ve had worse.”
“No no, wake up. Wake up. Shit you’re so cold. Okay.” He was all over the place, he hastily ran a hand through his hair and in my drowsy but defensive state, I instinctively flinched down into the mattress.
His head snapped to me. “What- what was that?” I had to stop myself from flinching again from the harshness of his voice. “What was that?? I’d never hurt you! I- I’m- I can’t believe you ever thought- I’d never-”
“It’s not you.”
“Who made you so scared then?? You’ve been on guard since I’ve been taking care of you-”
“HYDRA.” I mumbled. “Not right now.”
He hastily walked out of the room and into the bathroom, coming back with the medkit. He was visibly shaking.
I watched through blurred vision as he pulled alcohol and bandages out of the kit, followed by a needle, thread and a pair of tweezers. “Bucky?”
He noticed me eyeing the thread. “I have to, you’re going to bleed out if we don’t get whatever the hell was on the bullet out of your wound.”
“I don’t think I can do this Bucky, please just-” I knew it was the only option, but I was in so much pain already. I couldn’t even fathom pulling the bullet out.
He leaned forward and pressed his forehead to mine like earlier. He clutched my hand. “Look at me. It’s okay. I’ll be as gentle as I can okay? We have to do this. You said it yourself, you’ve had worse. You can do this.” I took a deep breath, ignoring the sharp pang in my ribs, breathing in the smell of him. It calmed me.
“Okay.” I whispered.
He gave me a rag to bite into and I watched as he sterilized the tweezers and then poured the alcohol in my wound. Tears welled up in the corners of my eyes.
“Shhh, it’s okay. It’s okay.” I’d never heard his voice that soft before. His hand reached up to pet my hair.
After the sting of the alcohol faded, black dots swimming in my vision, he gently held my hand. “You ready?”
“As ready ’s I’ll ever be.” I mumbled.
“Don’t pass out on me you got that?”
“I’ll try.”
I turned my head the other way trying to take deep breaths, but my ribs wouldn’t allow it.
I felt the tweezers enter the wound and I let out a choked sob, squeezing Bucky’s hand tighter. He started rubbing comforting circles on the back on my hand, saying nothing.
I cried into the rag as he dug around in my side trying to find the bullet. “I think I’ve got it. You’re doing so good, you know that? You’re doing great, i just have to extract it now.” I tried to manage a nod but my head felt too heavy
As he pulled the bullet out, it felt like it was digging in more. “Bucky,” I gasped through the cloth. “Bucky wait.”
“It’s okay. I’m so sorry it’s okay.”
“It hurts so god damn much” I whispered as he pulled the bullet the rest of the way out, I head him drop it in the lid of the medkit as my vision started blurring even more.
“What kind of fucking bullet is this??” He cursed. “It’s got some barbs on it like a fucking arrow.”
His voice got farther and farther away and soon it was quiet.
“Hey, hey wake up you can’t go to sleep yet. You’re too cold.”
I opened my mouth to speak but a harsh cough came out. Soon I was doubled over, weakly propping myself up and my forearms, coughing my lungs up. I felt someone behind me snake their arm around my chest to hold me up, I was now pressed against their chest.
I struggled to free myself from their grip, still coughing and panicking even more by the second. Soon, I had no other choice to give in as more coughs racked my body, I allowed myself to limply lay there.
When the coughing fit had subsided, I weakly tried to struggle against them again, against my own judgment. I knew there was no escaping this.
“Calm down.” Bucky. It was Bucky. Not some HYDRA agent looking to beat me to a pulp if I didn’t comply. I was safe. I could trust him. I think.
At least, now I could. The complete change to his demeanor was still shocking and confusing to me.
I laid down limply in his arms again, trying to catch my breath in the short gasps my ribs would allow me. His other arm reached up to stroke my hair and I realized how warm he was.
“I contacted the guys when you were out. They still said we have have play it by ear but they’re going to try and get here as soon as they can.”
I also realized I had fresh bandages on.
“I’m so sorry. For the way I acted towards you. You didn’t deserve that, you didn’t deserve it at all. It’s just- everyone who gets close to me, they get hurt. They die. I could let Steve and the others get close to me, they could withstand more. They have powers, they can take more abuse. But you? I couldn’t live with myself if you got hurt, you’re so- so fragile compared to them. You could get hurt so easily.”
“That’s why you pushed me away?? Barnes you know I-” He brushed his thumb across my lips, silencing me.
“You can handle yourself. I know. I know you can handle yourself in combat just as well as any of us and I have no doubt in your abilities, but you can also get hurt so much easier than any of us. You’re not superhuman, and sometimes you act like you are. You trusted me so much during missions to cover for you, more than the others.” I glanced up at him.
“I noticed that. And I couldn’t help but think, what if I fail to cover you one of these times? What if you got badly hurt because you put so much of your trust in me?”
“That wouldn’t be your fault, Bucky.”
He suddenly looked down at me and touched his nose to my forehead. “You’re still cold. This isn’t enough. Let’s get you to the fire.”
“I can walk this time.” I said, started to get up. “Oh no you don’t.” He closed his arms around me and gently picked me up, hauling me out of the room and into the living room. He gently laid me on the couch nearer to the fire and pulled away to go sit on the other couch.
“Bucky wait.” He glanced back at me, questioning. “Stay here.” I mumbled, a bit quieter. I saw a small smile tug at his frowning lips. “Just because you’re warm, dipshit.” I added teasingly.
Then he frowned again. “Are you sure you trust me?”
“More than that. I forgive you Bucky. I know your reasoning now and I can’t say I wouldn’t do the same if I had been through the same things you had.”
“You flinched earlier.” Oh, he was still going to bring that up.
“It wasn’t because of you. I- I’ve had some experiences with HYDRA in the past as well.”
He let out a sigh, I couldn’t tell if it was out of relief or pent up anger.
“Those bastards.” That answered it.
“’s okay Buck. Can’t do 'nything about it now.” I was sure he noticed the slur in my words. I was getting tired. He laid his hand on my head, then on my chest, letting out a satisfied sigh at how my temperature was beginning to rise again.
He tugged his hoodie over his head, leaving him in a black tank and sat down on the couch next to me. Lifting his feet up on the couch to lie next to me, he gently pulled me against his chest. I hummed contentedly.
I pressed myself closer to him and took a deep breath. He pet my hair and I felt him press a warm kiss to my forehead.
“I’ll take care of you.”